Brave New World
by aquos
Summary: After a fight with a demon, Phoebe wakes up in a very different world.
1. Prologue

Note- This is a re-write of an earlier story.

Phoebe pulled on a pair of bright red ankle socks, wincing on behalf of her fashion sense. Paige's colour preferences were not to her taste, to put it mildly. Peering into the mirror to do her hair, she inspected the colourful bruise spread across her right cheek. The demon she had fought the day before had surprisingly good aim. Straightening, she winced as her muscles twinged. She was going for a jog, to stop the muscles from stiffening further.

She hurried out of her room and towards the stairs, meeting a cranky Piper holding a steaming cup of coffee.

"Good morning Piper!" she said cheerily as she passed. Piper scowled at her darkly.

"It's too early to be good" her sister muttered into her coffee cup. Phoebe grinned as she hurried down the stairs, bumping into a sleepy Paige on the bottom step "Hey, Paige".

"Uh?" said her sister in a confused sort of way. _Just my luck to have two un-morning people in the family _thought Phoebe. Jogging down the street in the bright morning light, she breathed in the crisp morning air. The peace of early morning calmed her. Turning left, she went down an equally deserted side-street.

A faint crash reached her ears, and she paused. A muffled yelp and a deep growl echoed from the gap between two houses.

Stopping and going back, she saw a man grappling with something decidedly unhuman. Two curved horns jutted out of his brow, and his skin was an unearthly shade of violet. A knife appeared in its clawed hand, glinting dangerously.

"Hey!" she yelled out sharply. The demon turned quickly, eyes narrowed. The man stumbled away, disappearing around a corner at the far end of the alley. The demon glared at phoebe.

"You lost me my prey, lady." he bared his yellow teeth in an ugly smirk.

"Never mind. You'll do."

He leapt at her, blade flashing. She levitated before she realised what was happening. He stopped and stared at her, floating three metres above him. His face broke into a vicious grin.

"A witch, even better." He flung his knife at Phoebe's head. She rolled in mid air, and the knife clattered against the wall behind her. She dropped to the ground and threw a quick punch. He ducked and she kneed him in the stomach. Staggering backwards, the demon then launched himself forward into a new attack with a feral roar. He aimed three punches and she blocked them all, dodging the wild kick that followed. His claws tore into her shoulder; she flinched, then lunged forward and gave him a high kick to the chin.

The demon fell back.

Without warning, something smacked into the back of her head. Phoebe collapsed, pain lancing through her skull as it hit the concrete with a crack. Through the static that buzzed in front of her eyes, she saw the demon shimmer away. _What hit me?_ she thought, her mind beginning to go foggy. She felt someone- or something- grab her arm before blackness seeped through her eyes...


	2. Brave New World

Even before she knew she was awake, she smelt it. It was a mixture of urine, dung, blood and the sweet tang of decaying flesh. Her head throbbed, and she sat up with a moan, feeling slightly ill. She opened her eyes and froze in horror. It was the same little alley, there was no denying that. But now, instead of boxes and dumpsters, it was filled with the rotting carcasses of dogs, cats, demons and humans.

A decaying hand lay just near her feet, and eyeless heads leered from within the pile. She shrieked and stumbled back, heart pounding in terror. Her stomach, already unsettled, boiled over. She got three steps from the alley before her stomach rebelled. Retching, she threw up, the vomit blissfully destroying her sense of smell. But there was no forgetting those staring faces. Breathing hard, she looked around. Everything had changed. The houses were boarded up, most bearing evidence of fire. Even the sky was different, now a glaring red. She stared upwards, disbelieving.

"What the..." What had happened?

A faint crack to her right echoed down the desolate street, making her jump. Something was coming. She stepped back into the shadows, but nothing on earth could have made her go back into that alley.

It was a long line of people, about fifty or so. Most wore only enough clothing to keep them decent. Heads down, they trudged along, each wearing a thick steel collar tight around there necks. A long chain looped through a small hole in the collars, connecting them all together. Phoebe stared at them, frozen with shock. _A Slave train_. The thought echoed dully in her head as she watched them pass. Two demons walked behind, each holding a whip. One grinned, showing long pointed teeth, and flicked the barbed end at the last person, a woman. She yelped and leapt forward, looking back fearfully. The demons guffawed and twirled their weapons threateningly. The procession turned a corner at the end of the street, disappearing from view.

Phoebe stepped out of the shadows, shaking her head. This was impossible. She walked along the street, staring wide eyed at the world around her. The entire time, she thought only one thing: _How!_

Demons walked along the street, and no one gave them a second glance. Any people she saw had collars around their necks, and worked under the watching eye of a demon.

A hand grabbed her painfully by the arm and she was pulled into a derelict shop. She whirled around, freeing herself from its grip with a quick twist, heart jumping to her throat. A demon with puce skin glared at her, yellow eyes flashing in the semi darkness.

"You! Where is your collar?" Phoebe back against the far wall, hand scrabbling for a weapon. He stepped forward, fist clenched. "You wouldn't be an escaped slave, would you?" he crooned, eyes alight with malicious greed

"Because they fetch a pretty penny in the slave markets-" Phoebes hand had touched on a thin iron bar. She threw it with all her might at the demons sneering face. It connected with a wet 'smack', and the demon staggered. "Wha-" he collapsed to the ground, out cold.

Phoebe was breathing hard, adrenaline surging threw her body. Quickly, she bent over the demon and took his black cloak. She was too conspicuous in her normal clothes, it seemed. Wrapping the black folds of cloth around her body, she looked the demon over for anything else of interest. A dagger hung from his belt, along with a heavy purse. She took these both, securing them in her pockets. Pulling the hood over her head, she ducked out of the shop. The street was practically empty, the only sounds of life coming from a slave toiling in a garden. His bare back gleaned, scars rippling every time he moved. Taking a deep breath, she walked along the street, headed towards her home with an awful feeling of dread.


	3. Alone

Her street was silent, foreboding. Phoebe felt her scalp prickle as she walked along, as though there were eyes watching from the boarded up windows of the desolate houses. Phoebe stopped when she reached the manor, heart sinking.

The door hung off one hinge, creaking sadly in the wind. Windows were shattered, and possessions scattered the lawn, bright colours long faded from the sun and rain. She recognized Pipers green top hanging from a bush as she crept up the drive. There was no sign of the cars that once sat there. She slipped through the front door, foreboding humming through every vein.

Through the dark, she could see the wreckage of all her and her sisters' things littering the floor. Most of the furniture, the rugs, knickknacks...gone. "Piper?" she called out plaintively. Her voice sounded hollow in the empty space, echoing in the lonely house. "Paige?"

Silence.

Phoebe crept up the stairs, side stepping the gapping holes that riddled the woodwork. The strong smell of mould hit her, and she coughed. The house was shadowed in darkness, and the only sound was the soft moan of wind coming through the front door. It looked as though it had been abandoned for years.

Peeking into their rooms, she saw the same signs of destruction. Nearly all the possessions had been looted, the rest destroyed. Her sisters were long gone. She wandered through the house. Everything was in the same state of disrepair.

At last, she was in the attic. It was in near darkness, only a small shaft of watery light drifting through the boarded up window. Something crackled under her feet as she walked, making her nerves jump. She squinted through the gloom. Paper, spread over the entire floor. She bent down and picked up a sheet.

_Warding Spell _

Her heart leapt to her throat. She grabbed the yellow sheets of paper frantically. _Fire Demons...Expelling Pixies...Illusion charms... _In her hands she held the tattered remains of the book of shadows.

The pieces of paper slipped from her fingers. _Everything...It's gone _she thought numbly. Her sisters, their stuff...even the book of shadows had been destroyed. She was alone.

Night fell, and the cold, dead world seemed to come alive. Snarls and harsh laughter slipped into the house from the streets. Peeking through a window, Phoebe saw bands of demons wandering through the streets, some bearing flaming torches, reminding her forcefully of the peasants of medieval movies. She crept back to her room and fell into a fitful sleep, with dreams that were long and confusing. She thought she had woken in the night to see a dark shape standing nearby, but the image was lost by the time she woke.

Sunlight flitted shyly through the house, and the sounds of brawling demons had faded away. The door slamming shut woke Phoebe instantly from her slumber. There was the sound of clopping feet, then deathly Silence.

"Who's There?" called a voice sharply, a slight hiss in the undertone. Phoebe lay still, listening intently, heart beating like a jack hammer.

"I know there's someone here. Come out and I might let you live." The slap of feet changed as the intruder started to climb the stairs. Phoebe crept quickly behind the door. They were right outside.

"Now, what's behind door number one?" The stalker stepped into the room. Long fair hair ran like a shower of gold down the woman's back, glinting as brightly as the sword in her hand. Phoebe tensed, then slammed the door into the woman's face. With a shocked squall she fell to the ground, her weapon clattering to the ground.

Grabbing the sword, Phoebe placed against the demons throat. There was no mistaking her for anything else. Glowing blue eyes cold as flint glared at her. Her nose twitched, and she snarled one word. "Witch!"

"That's right." said Phoebe, matching the demons cold look with her own. "Why are you here?" The demon glared contemptuously at her and kept its mouth shut. It growled slightly as phoebe pressed the blade harder, a drop of green blood sliding across its polished surface.

"I'm have a really,_ really_ bad day. Don't piss me off." snapped Phoebe. The woman looked her sullenly and spoke.

"This is my place. What are _you _doing here?"

_What? _Things weren't adding up.

The demon began to inch away, but she snapped into focus and the sword zipped back to the demons throat. She had no idea to put the hundreds of thoughts roaring in her head into words. Except one.

"Where are they?"

"Who?" asked the woman curtly, eyeing the weapon at her neck.

"Piper and Paige Halliwell. The Charmed ones!" The demon snorted with laughter.

"Oh, they're long gone." she said with a chuckle. "Who knows where they are now?"

Phoebe stemmed the urge to decapitate the demon in an attempt the erase that smirk from her face. Instead, she rapped the woman on the temple with the flat of the blade. She groaned, and then fainted. Phoebe threw the sword and left her home. It didn't feel very welcoming anymore.

Once she was on the street, Phoebe stopped. Where could she go? She was alone in a strange, dangerous world. For a while she just wandered in a daze, past swaggering demons and slaving humans. The cloak was hot under the red sky, but she dared not take it off.

She stopped for a rest, leaning against an old streetlight. She felt numb all over. There was a distant crack to her left. Her head jerked, and she saw another slave train. This one was not nearly as long, and there was only one demon, a fat sweaty looking specimen. The slaves here were in much worse shape, walking corpses. He lumbered after then, yelling threats and cracking his whip loudly. They shuffled away, chains clanking.

Behind them, the hooded figure leaning against a lampost straightened and began to follow.


	4. Who are You?

The slave train didn't go far. They came up to a towering fire scarred building that had once been the local mall, slipping through a gaping hole in its side. Screams and shouts echoed from the blackness within. Phoebe stopped, wondering if she dared enter.

There was a sort of tunnel, the sides piled with rubble. When she got to the end of the tunnel, she smothered a gasp. The middle of the mall had been demolished, creating a huge arena. It was packed full of demons, snarling and pushing each other in the crowded space.

Someone knocked into her shoulder, and she lurched as a huge yeti like creature pushed passed. Unwilling, she was swept into the vicious crowds. She was jostled back and forward, sharp elbows poking into her back. The smell of demons at such close proximity made her eyes water.

She ended up crushed against a hard wooden fence, wincing as the crowd behind pushed her stomach onto the wooden beam. The fence was part of a ring that was empty, floored with churned mud.

From a gate a line of prisoners came. Some collapsed onto the hard soil, grey with exhaustion. Phoebe realised that they were the same ones that she had followed here.

The blubbery demon hiked up his trousers, then nodded to a tall man leaning against the fence. He stepped into the centre of the ring, and Phoebe thought he looked too human to be amongst this crowd. Her feelings evaporated when he smiled. No man could had that many teeth. He shouted over the top of the racket. "Selling starts with a 34 year old male." The fat demon unhooked a man from the chain and hauled him forward. He looked as though he could have been a bank manager. Demons began to shout out bids.

"One hukka!"

"Two!"

"Eight!"

The price shot to 22 hukka, whatever that meant. No bids were voiced after that. A short woman, who was beautiful in an icy sort of way, stepped forward. A rope was poked through the metal collar, and the man was led away like dog on a leash, head bowed in submission. As he turned his back to her, Phoebe noticed a number branded into his back.

The selling continued. Try as she might, Phoebe could not move away from the fence. The demons behind her refused to budge, pushing forward every time she moved.

"Female In the mid twenties."

There was a hush from the crowd, and Phoebe looked back to the pen. Rake thin, the woman was being held upright by the fat demon. Dark hair fell in front of her face, and her thin frame shook with quiet sobs.

Demons pressed forward, eager to bid on the sad figure that huddled before them. The price rocketed to 120 hukka. While two demons were trying to outbid each other, the woman slipped quietly to the ground.

The fat demon shook his head in disgust, turning to watch what was turning into a brawl. Phoebe looked down at the woman, and her blood froze. The woman was on her knees, facing away from Phoebe. Burned into her back was not a number, as had been on the other people, but a symbol. A symbol that Phoebe knew all too well.

The Triquetra.

* * *

Phoebe's hand shot to her pocket, and latched onto the heavy purse. She pulled it out quickly, looking inside. It was filled with coins, but not 'hukka', which had been small bronze discs. Thick gold coins weighed the fabric down. Phoebe pulled out a handful, surprised at the weight. She looked at them, then at the fighting demons. The price was rising slowly from 150 hukka. Fingers crossed, she gestured at the fat demon. He looked at her in an unimpressed manner, but froze when he saw the glittering treasure in her hands.

"Titus" he said, voice cracking slightly. The tall demon turned to look at his friend, then followed his gaze towards Phoebe. Her skin crawled at those cold eyes, but he seemed as equally shocked at the money.

"Three Sols!" He yelled disbelievingly. There was utter silence. "Sold." he said, in a quieter voice. The woman was hauled from the earth, a rope attached to her collar. There was a sudden release of pressure behind Phoebe, and she realised that the demons were drawing back from her. When she turned, she saw fear in their eyes.

The ropes end was thrust into her hand, and Phoebe suddenly realised what she had done. She had _bought _someone. She shook the thought away. It was too late to ponder that now. Scanning the edge of the 'arena', she spied a gap in the rubble walls. Looking back at the woman, she wondered if she would make it. She was swaying slightly, skin deathly pale. Phoebe began walking, and the woman slumped after her. Her face was a mass of scars, as though she had been beaten badly long ago.

Phoebe sighed in relief when they reached the hole in the wall. It had originally been a pathway in the original mall, and some of the shop structures were still standing. She quickly entered the gloom. The horrible noise from outside immediately dimmed. Going as far as she dared, she quickly dropped the rope.

The woman collapsed forward without warning. She hit the floor before Phoebe could even move. Leaning over the exhausted body of her companion, she saw that she had simply fainted. She came to slowly, eyes fluttering. When she saw a hooded figure leaning over her, she whimpered and curled into a ball.

"Hey, It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you" soothed Phoebe, watching the woman quiver. What had she been through to become this? The woman stared at her fearfully, scooting backwards. Her back thudded against a wall, and she bit her lip. Phoebe stood up and stepped forward. She stopped quickly when the woman hunched her shoulders and ducked her head, waiting for the blow.

Phoebe sighed and sat down, pulling the stuffy hood from her head. A small choking sound escaped the woman. She was staring at phoebe, eyes wide. In a voice that cracked like dried sticks, she whispered.

"Phoebe?"

* * *

MWAHAHAHAHAHA! How's THAT for a cliff hanger! he he he he... cough.

You know, Phoebe is hard word to spell.


	5. Sister

Sorry this took so long. School Camp.

* * *

Phoebe opened her mouth to speak, but no sound managed to slip through her suddenly tight throat. The woman sat back, hands over her face.

"No, you can't be…"

"Wha…" Phoebe was unnerved. Who was this woman?

The terrified slave looked up, and through the fear, scars and espair, Phoebe saw it.

"_Paige?"_

The woman - Paige – shifted back, shaking her head wordlessly. Phoebe grabbed her sister by the shoulders, staring at her in disbelief. Paige looked back at her, trembling.

"You're dead." She whispered.

The confusing torrent of thoughts surging through Phoebes mind abruptly stopped.

"What?"

Paige was silent, unable to speak.

Gently, like she was talking to a frightened animal, Phoebe spoke.

"I'm not dead. I'm here." She said softly, trying to make her understand. The emotion in Paige's eyes slipped out, washing the dirt off her bloodless cheeks.

"You can't be." Paige had learned by now that hope was a painful thing to have.

Phoebe leant down and revealed a bright maroon sock. It seemed comic in this place.

"Do you recognise this?" the hope in her voice sounded almost painful.

Paige gazed blankly at the bright fabric. Then, there was a flicker across her gaunt face.

A small, shadowy smile twitched on her lips, a whisper of what it had once been.

"I remember."

The tears would not stop after that.

* * *

It was dark now. Most of the daytime demons had disappeared, leaving the arena eerily silent. The night would bring crueller, vicious demons. The sisters had retreated deep into the tunnel till only a sliver of the outside could be seen.

Paige was dozing fitfully, eyelids flickering. She had wept herself to sleep, face buried in the comfort of Phoebe's shoulder. The heavy cloak covered her now, leaving Phoebe bare to the night chills.

Shivering slightly, Phoebe glanced out at the arena. The huddled shapes of enslaved men and woman gleamed in the burning moonlight. Phoebe watched them sadly. How could she free these innocents when it was just her and Paige? A soft night wind drifted across her cheek, strangely comforting. With a sigh she looked away.

A man was standing next to her.

She jerked upright, heart thudding in her ears. _How did he get so close?_

The man was in his mid-fifties, and was decidedly demon. Black skin rippled over muscles as he stepped forward, seeming to absorb the watery moonlight. Glowing orange burned from his deep set eyes.

He inclined his head slightly, eyes never leaving her face.

"Hello, Phoebe. I'm glad you have got here unharmed."

"What the…" Phoebe stared at him, feeling like her head was about to explode. This was just too much.

A small smile twitched on his lips.

"Forgive me. I did not introduce myself." He bowed, properly this time. "I am Minas."

"What do you want?" asked Phoebe suspiciously, eyes narrowed. The smile widened, and a chill dropped down her spine. He raised a hand, silver light flickering in his palm.

"You will see."

* * *

The light flared, and she was swallowed by billowing flame.

The blond woman was shivering in fear, though she did well to hide it. Not many demons got to meet the Source of all Evil face-to-face, and fewer still survived the encounter. He had a nasty temper by all accounts.

The Source peered at her over steepled fingers, eyes grim. Even for a demon he was repulsive. Huge lumps of warty flesh hung limply from his face, almost obscuring his other features. Fortunately, the rest of him was covered by a long dark cloak despite the almost unbearable heat.

The roof was low, hung with great gold chandeliers that would have felt at home in any French palace. The finest rugs covered the icy stone floor, bright colours glowing in the flickering light. The fireplace to the left was filled with intense blue flame. Her blond her trembled slightly as the Source spoke, voice hard.

"So you say this woman mentioned the charmed ones…." There was a faint flicker in his eyes, almost what you could call fear. The woman gulped.

"Witch. She was a witch." There flicker sparked into definite fear, burning in those icy eyes. He nodded thoughtfully.

"Interesting." His voice was calm, but there was a nervous tic twitching under his right eye. He reached into his pocket, pulling out something that shone like fire. The omwans eyes lit with barely contained greed.

_Sols _were great honours, given to demons who had pleased the source.. You could by a small island in the Caribbean with the fortune held in the Sources clawed hand.

He tossed it, almost carelessly, watching in amusement as she grabbed at it with clumsy fingers. Bowing quickly, she backed out of the room.

The source rested his head in his hands as a slave slunk silently out of the shadows. Here eyes were dark, strangely blank in the dim light.

"Two reports, sir." Her voice echoed harshly in the chamber. "Is that evidence enough for you?"

The Source shook his head. He refused to accept it. If the witch was here….It wasn't possible. He had gotten rid of that problem long ago.

The woman persisted, voice flat.

"You must act. This who world could unravel if-"

"I know that!" he snapped, glaring at her. If she didn't practically run his empire, he would've ripped her spine out. Taking a deep breath, he crammed his rage into a small corner of his mind.

His outburst had rolled off the slave like water, her dead eyes barely flickering. He thought for a moment, then slumped, flapping his hand at her.

"Go. Do what you wish."

She turned and left without a bow to her master, a wicked smile on her lips. It didn't seem to reach her eyes.

* * *

Sorry. Short chapter shrug. Next ones longer. Flashbacks! Wooohooo! 


	6. Broken Dreams

**Sorry this took so long. I was on Holidays ). By the way, I'm not going to post up the next chapter until I get 30 reviews (altogether). So people who are reading but not reviews please review. Just so I know what you think.**_

* * *

_

_She was surrounded by darkness, pure and endless, stretching away into eternity. Phoebe tried to scream, but she had no body, nothing. Beginning to panic, she frantically tried to move, but it was as though the darkness had bound her with invisible ropes. The black parted like a curtain, swirling at the edges of her vision. For an instant, she thought she saw the inside of the manor, as it used to be. Then, her thoughts were swept away by another, different mind._

* * *

Paiges head was still fogged up with the last fragments of sleep as she wearily climbed the stairs. She scowled darkly as Phoebe jogged past, her face alive with energy. Grumbling softly to herself, she reached the landing. Then, she felt a little shiver her down her back, like a file was being drawn across her spine. Suddenly tense, she stopped, listening.

There was a small creak behind her, and Paige twisted around quickly. A huge, hulking demon was holding Piper around the neck, thick fingers crushing her throat. Her sister was unconscious, a trickle of dark blood slinking down her face from her hair. The demon was grinning, yellow eyes sparkling maliciously.

"One word and she dies."

The words died in Paige's throat. She gazed at Piper helplessly as the demon tightened its grip. A soft shuffle of footsteps whispered from behind her, but she dared not move.

Something hard and heavy crashed into the base of her skull. Fireworks of pain blossomed in front of her eyes, and her knees buckled. Then, darkness….

_

* * *

The world swirled into darkness again, and Phoebe was aware. Like dark smoke the darkness churned around her, stifling. What was that? She wondered. It was no premonition. It was as though she was Paige. Or were they memories? How had Minas-_

* * *

Paige's head throbbed painfully, and she tasted coppery blood in her mouth. Eyes flickering open, she winced as harsh sunlight burned into he eyes. She rolled over painfully, and realised she was tied up. Piper was nearby, eyes closed. She was still unconscious, hands bound tight. Apiece of clothhad been shoved roughly in her mouth.

"Mph…." It was then that Paige realised that there wasa gagin her mouth. Something hard poked her in the back, making her flinch. She twisted her head uncomfortably, and looked up at the squashed face of a demon. He glowered at her.

"Quiet or you'll regret it." Paige glared at him, fear lost in a sea of sudden anger. The demon snarled and turned away. Glancing around, her stomach dropped.

They were in the middle of a forest, surrounded by huge pine trees. Bright sunlight lanced through the branches, burning as it landed on her pale skin. There were also people. About a hundred, mostly women, bound and gagged as she was. Twenty demons prowled around them, yellow eyes flicking about nervously.

One demon was apart from the others, kneeling in the dirt. He chanted softly to himself as he traced symbols in the dust. The others avoided him, galning at him fearfully as they passed. Two of them muttered nearby, and Paige could hear the fear in there voices.

"He's crazy; we'll never pull this off."  
"What if we do? Do you what this could do?"  
"We've all heard." The first voice said loudly, angrily. "Heard the dream so many times I'm sick to death of it.

"Is that so?

The cold voice cut through the sudden silence.

"Paige twisted to see. The two demons were looking at the ground like naughty children. Before them stood the demon who had been tracing in the dirt. Now that she could see his face properly, Paige winced. It was a bulbous mass of blistered skin, with two smouldering orange eyes glittering from the folds of flesh.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Vitus." said the hideous demon. His voice was deceptively friendly. "But just so you know-"

He grabbed Vitus by the throat. Paige shut her eyes quickly, but could not clock out the horrible wet tearing of the demons head being ripped off.

"I don't care." finished the demon. Paige moaned softly, feeling sick. A pair of hot orange eyes landed on her face.

"Well, well, well…" the demon swaggered over to her, what was supposed to be a smile twisting his already grotesque features into a disgusting mask.

"If it isn't young Paige Matthews..." Paige's eyes widened.

"Surprising, isn't it? That we know your name." he chuckled darkly, shaking his head.

"I don't know why it should be, since we have Phoebe." He smirked as an alarmed look flashed across her face.

"Mph!" the gag muffled the insult. The demon, obviously catching the intended idea, kicked her in the ribs. Paige's back arched as her ribs cracked beneath his hard boot, face contorted with agony. He was not smiling now.

"Listen carefully, witch." he hissed, inches away from he face. His rancid breath scorched her skin.

"If you or your sister do anything, anything at all, we'll kill Phoebe. Understand?" Paige nodded, and he turned away. As he stalked back to his drawing, Paige glanced back at the still comatose Piper. They were in very big trouble.

For a long time Paige just lay there, nursing her throbbing side. Piper slept on, and the demons continued to patrol. Hours passed, the flaming sun slowly making its way across the azure sky. Exhausted, Paige was drifting into slumber when someone grabbed her and hauled her to her feet. Her knees buckled from lack of use, and she ended up being dragged. She aimed a kick at the demons leg, but then remembered Phoebe. Turning limp, she allowed herself to be pulled towards the ugly, misshapen demon who had cracked her ribs.

At this angle, she could see what he had been tracing in the dust; A triquetra.

_That can't be good_ she thought anxiously as the demon who was carrying her dropped her in the centre of the drawing. He bent over, pulling the gag and rope from her stiff body. Paige stood up cautiously.

The demons stood in a circle around her. They began to chant, making strange symbols in the air that left glowing trails that seemed to burn. Every fibre in Paige's body screamed at her to get out of there, but she was frozen in place.

Their chanting reached a pitch, and an invisibly force pushed her to the ground. She was on her hands and knees, the huge unseen weight pressing down on he back.

Glowing lights flickered at the corners of her vision. She looked up, and saw they were coming from the bound people around her. Witches. The hideous demon stepped in front of her, chanting. The droning voices suddenly stopped, and the coloured lights glittered like the Aurora Borealis in the silence. Paige looked fearfully into his eyes and saw a black void. He raised his arms, staring into her heart.

"Let it be done." He whispered. The twinkling lights surged into Paige's body, burning like acid. Her bones shattered inot her flesh, sharp slivers tearing into delicate tissue. Screams echoes in her pain ridded mind, and she realised they were her own.

Far away, as though at the very edge of the world, she heard the creak of a gate swinging shut. Then, nothing.

_

* * *

Phoebe was herself again, floating in the darkness. It seemed as thought there was no time in this place. She couldn't tell if it had been ten years of ten seconds before the next memory hit her._

* * *

Lancing pain drove itself through her skull. Paige weakly opened her eyes. Everything was a blurry smear, flashed of brown and black. She was flat on her back, and seemed to be relatively unharmed. Her insides still shuddered with pain as she sat up, feeling somehow drained. Blinking dizzily, she glanced around. She was alone, in a dark cell made of rock. Instinctively, she knew she was in the underworld. Evil pressed down on her, radiating from the stone around her.

The lumpy demon teleported in front of her cell, a triumphant smirk on his squashed face. Paige glared at him with hatred.

"How was your nap?"

Paige ignored him, standing up slowly. Her legs wobbled slightly. The demons smile widened, eyes glinting wickedly.

"Don't you want to know why you're here?" he persisted. She looked at him contemptuously, hiding her fear behind a façade of strength. Her anger did not dim hi mood. The grin on his face was almost gleeful as he spoke again.

"The end has come." An startled look twitched on her face.

"What?"

He laughed. "Game's over, witch. You Lost. The gates of heaven are closed, and hell has been unleashed on Earth." He paused for affect.

"And it's all thanks to you." He began to teleport away, calling out an afterthought.

"Oh, by the way, your sisters are dead." There was dead silence, somehow worse than weeping.

_

* * *

The image faded, slowly this time. The horrible emptiness that Paige had fel remained. Even as a shadow, it felt like a knife had been dug into her Phoebe's stomach. He lied. __Thought Phoebe _He said I was dead.. And Piper too…_ Phoebe hoped ferverantly that it was a lie as well. Red flickering lights began to dance…._He lied. He said I was dead.. And Piper too…

* * *

It was several weeks after the strange spell had been cast. In that time, Paige had heard, in bits and pieces, what it had been. The Powers That be had ordained that only a whitelighter could close the gates of 'heaven', while a demon could close the gates of 'Hell'. It had been to create balance, and to stop good and evil from wiping each other out.

The ugly demon, Tanius, had come up with a brilliant plan. All demons knew of the Charmed ones, and of the sister who had come when the other had been killed. The half-whitelighter witch, twice cursed for the demons.

The plan was simple, yet genius. A channelling spell, using the magic of witches, would use the white-lighter half of the witch. They could make her shut the gates of Heaven. Amazingly, unbelievably, it had worked.

All the whitelighters were trapped, with only a few remaining on Earth, their powers lost. They were illuminated, easy picking for the darklighters,

There were in the underworld still. Paige felt numb as Tanius stood before the crowd of witches, his face alight with greed. She watched, emotionless, as he sucked the power from them all, glowing with the light of their stolen magic. The magic sunk into his skin, fading as he absorbed it.

Tanius nodded and the rest of the witches were dragged away. He teleported in front of her, ugly teeth bared in a gin. As two of his cronies held her down, he called a glowing brand from the fire. It emerged in his hand from glowing blue sparks.

"The whole of the human race are slaves now, thanks to you. The New World Order begins at dawn tomorrow." He twirled the glowing tip towards her face. Paige saw the triquetra, glowing a rosy pink. Tanius held it in front of her face, the heat scorching the tip of her nose.

"This mark means that, unlike the rest of your kind, you can not be killed. You can, however, be submitted to anything else. Short of removing limbs, of course." He snickered.

"Ans you have no idea how many demons have lost friends, cousins, parents to the Halliwell line. And since you are the last…" The brand was pressed into the skin below her shoulder blade, the flesh bubbling and blistering under the unbearable heat.

Through the pain, she heard his voice, tight with excitement.

"You will pay"

_

* * *

The memories flew fast now, a calioscope of blood and claws. Through the smear, Phoebe saw flashed of painful clarity._

* * *

Paige was working for an obesely fat demon, carrying him human limbs on a golden platter. The skin was nearly ripped from her back by his whip…

A demon held her down while another beat her, the second hissing at her with a forked tongue.

"You won't forget what you did to my brother in a hurry, which. You feel this on for the rest of your days"…

Than, at the slave pen. How many demons, how many punishments, she didn't know. She prayed noe that one of them would get careless and kill her accidentally, to free her from the misery that had seeped into flesh, blood, bone. No friendship came from the others. They blamed her for the hell that was reality.

Grayson, the beefy owner of the slave line, held her upright as the demons watched with vengeful eyes. An argument broke out, and she was dropped to the ground. Tears slipped down her cheeks and pooled in the dirt. She vaguely surprised that she could still cry. She thought she had used them up by now.

A silent demon bid three sols for her. The money of the Source, Tanius.

As the cloaked figure was given the rope, Paige understood what hell was.

* * *

Phoebe started. She was back in her body. Minas was still there, the silver fire glittering in his palm. He extinguished it quietly, eyes boring into the shell shoked Phoebe. He looked apologetic.

"I am sorry for the suddenness, but I don't have much time. The Source will sense me here."

Phoebe felt her fists clench "Who are you? Why did you show me that…" her voice failed. She glanced sadly at the sleeping Paige, feeling as though someone had torn her heart out. The last fragments of the visions flickered through her mind.

"Piper." She said suddenly. "Is she…."

"No." Minas shook his head. "She is not dead. However, we-"

"'We?'"

"The Avatars. We-"

"Avatars? What-"

"There is not much time." He interrupted hastily. "We don't know where she is. You have to find her." He spoke with a sense of urgency.

"You must understand. The spell Tanius did….We did not understand the effect it would have on this world. Now…." He shook his head despairingly.

"The Avatars have been banished to the ends of the earth. It has cost us greatly to bring you back." He gripped her by the wrist, making her wince. His skin burned as though a fire crackled beneath the skin.

"You have to change this."

"But where is here? Where am I?" Phoebe was nearly crying with frustration.

He stopped suddenly, listening.

"He knows I'm here. I have to go."

"But where am I!"

"Your future."

Then he dissolved into nothing, leaving her alone in the quiet night.


	7. Someone Called?

This spell was old; how long had it been since she had done this? Five years at least. And yet here she was, bent over an old map of San Francisco. The scrying crystal drifted above it as she whispered the words, repeating them until her throat was dry and her lips cracked. The crystal continued to circle, stubbornly refusing to land on the withered paper.

The slave glanced anxiously through a window. It was nearly dawn. She did not have much time. Already the approaching rays were pulling at her essence, dragging her away...

She shook away the feeling. Snarling softly, she glared at the map, her eyes flashing. The crystal obediently shot to the paper, landing meekly on the ruins of a shopping centre. The woman smiled.

"Gotcha."

She turned, smiling triumphantly at the demon behind her. Tanius shrugged.

"So you were right, it seems. Minas has indeed changed sides."

The woman stood, stretching her cramped muscles.

"You'd better hurry. They're not going to wait around for you." she said pointedly, eyes glittering, goading him. She was amused to see a muscle twitch in his face as his eyes widened in rage. But he did not dare raise a hand to her. Instead, he turned angrily to the door and stormed out, robes billowing. The woman winced as she felt the sun creep closer to the horizon, the light pulling on her bones.

* * *

The dusty jeep trundled across the bumpy road, headlights flickering on every bump. The horned demon in the front seat winced at every jolt. It would have been so much easier if he could just teleport...

A harsh ringing made him jump, and he grabbed the mobile from the floor.

"Eh...Hello?"

"How is it going?" the cold voice in his ear made his scales stand on end. He hoped feverently that he would never have to meet this woman in person.

"Uh...good. I'm just getting to the-"

"Don't forget what the Source said. They get hurt, you get hurt." There was a click, then a dial tone. Mouth suddenly dry, the demon dropped the mobile.

As the jeep drove along the bumpy road, the sun began to rise, illuminating the red sky.

* * *

"Phoebe!"

Paige's shriek woke Phoebe up with a jerk. Her head snapped up, and her eyes flicked open just as an energy ball exploded beside her head. Small chips of rock sprayed across her face, slicing open her skin as she dropped to the ground, protecting her eyes. Something thudded, and their attacker yelped in rage.

Paige lobbed another rock, eyes wide with panic. The demon retreated another step, snarling as blood dripped from his bloody nose. He drew an athame out of his pocket, spitting blood.

"Filthy witches!" his eyes with furious slits.

Phoebe edged along the wall, tensing. He leapt forward, knife aimed at Paige's heart. Phoebe was frozen at the spot. She urged her body to move, but it clung to the wall-

He exploded in a ball of flame, the knife an inch from her sisters' skin. A second demon entered, conjuring another fireball.

"Tut, tut, Ferius." he said to the pile of smoking ash. "Tanius said not to harm them. You must improve your hearing."

Paige twitched at the sound of Tanius's name. Phoebe came to stand beside her sister, grabbing the discarded knife. The new demon grinned, flashing surprisingly white teeth.

"No need for that. Phoebe, right? And you must be Paige." he laughed, a light tinkling sound that made the hair the back of Phoebes neck rise. "And Piper will make three, when we get back to the Underworld."

"You've got Piper." Phoebes knuckles turned white as her grip hardened on the knife handle.

"Oh yes." he shrugged. The fireball grew larger in his hand, flames licking at his palm. His eyes were cold as he looked steadily at Phoebe.

"Now, are you going to come without a fight?" The heat from the ball of flame was burning Phoebes face.

"Well..." Phoebe cocked her head as if she was thinking about it. Her hand flicked forward, fingers a blur; the athame shot with an eerie hiss at the demon. Lazily, he threw the fireball at it. The two met in midair, and ash fell to the floor.

"Well, after that-" he never got to finish the sentence

Phoebes fist connected with his chin. His head snapped back, face wearing a comic look of shock. Then his eyes rolled up and he fell to the ground, out cold. They both stared at him for a moment, then Phoebe turned to Paige.

"We can't stay here. We have to get Piper." Paige said nothing, eyes dark as she stared at the unconscious demon.

"Paige-"

"Then what?" Paige met her eyes, a despairing expression on her face. "You'll save the world?" She laughed, a horrible bitter sound that grated in Phoebes ears.

"People have tried. I've seen them, their bodies hanging from the walls of houses." her eyes were dead with despair.

Phoebe opened her mouth, then closed it again. What could she say to that?

"We'll find Piper first. Then we'll think of something." she tried to sound confidant. Paige said nothing.

* * *

It was surprisingly easy to walk out of the mall turned slave market. Nobody gave them a second glance, assuming that Paige was the newly bought slave, Phoebe the new master. Phoebe had the hood back up, her eyes scanning the crowds restlessly; she hoped Tanius hadn't sent anyone else after them.

Phoebe breathed a sigh of relief as they entered their street.

Paige almost smiled when she saw the Manor, despite the fact it was in a shape of horrible disrepair. "I never thought I'd see this place again." she said softly, eyes glassy. Phoebe opened the door loudly, brandishing the knife.

"If there's anyone here, come out now! I don't want to have to look for you!" she called into the dark house. The rooms were empty, silent.

A long portion of the day was spent trying to remove the thick metal collar around Paiges neck. The sun was settling to the ground when they were sitting in the attic. Paige was wearing her old clothes, a red line around her neck. The remains of the book of shadows was in her hand. Phoebe lit a crumpled candle, the light spluttering.

'Ready?' Paige nodded, putting the papers aside. The chant, that had called Paige so long ago, echoed again in the cramped attic

"_Powers of the witches' rise, Course unseen across the skies,_

_Come to us, we call you near, come to us and settle here._

_Blood to blood I summon thee, Blood to blood, return to me_"

The little flame flickered for a second, light weaving hesitantly.

The candle then exploded.

Little drops of molten wax flitted across the floor, but both of them were to tired to react. Paige flicked a drop from her cheek.

"What do you think that meant?"

There was a crash below them as something came through the front door.

* * *

Phoebe leapt to her feet, heart beating wildly. The thunder of running feet echoed through the house, making the attic shake as though there was an earthquake. Paige stood up, eyes wide.

"What-"

The attic door imploded. Phoebe ducked out of the way, and it crashed into an old cabinet, the old wood cracking. The demon in the doorway leered, though his murderous grin was somehow ruined by the plasters on his nose. Phoebe drew the knife out grimly as five more demons walked into the room, all of them twirling maces in a businesslike manner.

"Can you orb us out of here?" she muttered, eying the closes demon. She felt rather than saw Paige shake her head.

"I haven't been able to for five years."

Their demon friend from the mall glanced back at the door. His face broke into another strangely charming grin.

"Boss's coming." he sneered. "You're gonna been real sorry you broke my nose."

The smart reply died on Phoebes lips as the woman stepped through the door. The knife dropped from her suddenly limp hands.

It was Piper.

"Did somebody call?"

* * *

Heee! I hope that was a surprise. 


	8. Pied Piper

Phoebe stared at Piper, frozen in place. Piper looked at her, head cocked to the side. She looked older, and her eyes were different; cold and dead like a reptile.

"Piper?" Paige's voice was soft, nearly a squeak.

Piper smiled, and Phoebe felt her skin crawl.

"Yes and no, little sister." she flickered her hair out of her eyes in a manner that was defiantly not like Piper.

"I'd go in to it now, but we really don't have time."

One of the demons took a step closer, baring his teeth. Phoebe raised the knife in warning.

"Oh come on, we can't have that." Piper flicked her hand boredly, and the knife shattered in Phoebe's hand. She gasped as the knife blade cut into her skin, dropping the shards onto the floor where they lay useless.

The demons leapt forward. She had no chance, not even able to flinch as the mace thudded onto her skull...

* * *

A head ache was pounding in her head, centering on the bridge of her nose. Phoebe blinked, wincing as harsh glowing light burned into her eyes. Holding her head in her hands, she sat up. For a long time she just sat there, nursing the dreadful headache. She heard a soft moan from her left, and knew it was Paige. 

Her little sister had a horrible bleeding cut above her right eye, the red blood staining her face like dark wine. She was barely conscious, eyelids fluttering.

Cradling Paige's head in her lap, Phoebe dabbed at the gash with the cloak, despair clutching at her stomach. She wondered what would happen to them now, whether they would become evil like Piper seemed have become, or simply be killed. Or perhaps worse, being sold on the slave market.

A small tear brushed at Phoebe's cheek, but she wiped it away angrily.

"Not very lively, are you?"

Phoebe flinched and twisted her head. The Source of all evil stood before her, peering like a curious child though the bars. Phoebe glared pure, black hatred at him, cheeks flaring red in fury.

Tanius didn't seem at all perturbed, a grin splitting his repulsive face. It hadn't improved in the last five years. Phoebe glanced around, at the bare cell with walls that pulsed with odd red light. It had changed a lot since Paige's last memory of it (AN- Phoebes thinking of Paige's memory. Just in case you were confused).

Piper entered the room, only glancing at Phoebe before turning to the Source.

"The 'chef'' sent me to say, and I quote, 'Dinners ready'." She said in an extremely sarcastic voice.

Tanius scowled at her tone, fingers twitching as though he longed to wrap them around her delicate throat. But he simply turned away, scurrying towards the door.

"I swear, he's like a spoilt little child sometimes." Piper sat down cross-legged on the floor, settling herself on the hard stone floor. She looked at Phoebe thoughtfully for a moment.

"Piper…" Phoebe was cut off as her sister suddenly spoke.

"You know, I'm surprised to see you here. I thought the spell that Minas did would have sent you away for eternity." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"I guess they don't make spells like they used to."

"What spell?" the mention of the Avatars name sparked Phoebe into full alert. Piper flapped her hand.

"Oh, some sort of time warp thing. Basically, sent you somewhere so Wart-Face could do his spell." Standing up with a stretch, Piper began to dust the dirt from her knees.

"Don't worry about vengeance against Minas." she grinned wickedly, a look that seemed to grate on Pipers soft face. "He'll get his very soon." She headed towards the door, then paused, half turning back. The movements almost exactly matched what Tanius done five years previously, turning to Paige to tell her that her sisters were dead. She pointed to a spot on the wall, and a rippling smoky circle appeared in the wall.

"What the hell. It's not like you've got cable in here." She slipped through the door, and Phoebe watched apprehensively as a picture began to form inside the smoke, of a room full of finery…

* * *

Piper slipped into the main hall as Tanius completed his summoning, clapping his hands together with a sound like thunder. Smoke billowed out of the thin air, swirling like a small tornado as a vaguely human form merged together in its core. Piper quickly took her place behind it. The smoke drizzled away to nothing, and Minas the Avatar stood before the Source. He bowed his head elegantly, but there was a fine sweat on his dark brow. Behind his back, Piper took something out of her pocket, dropping it softly to the floor. Tanius glared coldly at the man before him. 

"Minas, I have received some rather unfortunate news." the words were precise and cordial, but were spat out like barbed insults. "Apparently you trespassed into this world not a day ago." Minas cocked his head slightly.

"I'm afraid that it impossible, Sir. You know as well as I that an Avatar cannot enter this here unless they are summoned. A Law of magic I believe you yourself created." Piper nudged the object on the floor with her foot, ready.

"Ahh, yes that is true..." Tanius was almost thoughtful "But there is also the fact that your kind can pool your magic together. Which of course would give you easily enough power to enter…"

Piper pushed the crystal into place. A light cage flickered to life, surrounding the avatar with bars of glowing light. The avatar stepped back, his eyes widening in fear. He twisted around quickly, and Piper gave him a jaunty wave. He visibly crumpled at the sight of her.

"You…." He looked at her, despair making him temporarily speechless.

"Surprised?" she poked the wall of the cage teasingly, and beads of sweat began to jut from his skin.

"Listen" he said quickly in a hushed voice "You don't have to do-"

"Oh but I do." She prodded the wall again, and his jaw clenched tight as another jolt of pain went through him.

"Finish him off already."

Piper scowled at Tanius, then flicked her hands grouchily. He exploded, smog curling lazily to the ceiling, drifting out a vent in the wall. The Source had already turned away, towards the table that held his evening meal. Plonking himself down, he grabbed a chicken leg and tore into it, yellow teeth ripping into the white flesh, ignoring Piper look of distaste. As she headed towards the door she winked at a slight, oval distortion in the air near the door. The faint rippling reflection of the cell vanished, and the circle faded into nothing.

* * *

Phoebe fought to keep her eyes open, exhaustion finally tearing at her bones. She had been running at full steam for almost 48 hours, and all her energy had faded. Paige was still drifting between darkness and reality, eyes flickering open and shut. Phoebe thought her head had simply nodded down for a moment. But when the door of the cell began to open, and her head jerked up, she was shocked to see twilight through the small metal bars of the window. 

Piper ignored her, apparently deaf to Phoebes frantic attempt to get her attention, fastening chains to the walls. Phoebe fell silent, watching as her elder sister attached the cuffs to her wrists, wrapping her hands closed tight inst fists.

"What are you doing?" she asked finally, in a rather flat voice.

"Hush." A wisp of smoke slipped out of Pipers lips, dissolving into nothing. Phoebe watched with alarm as fog began to gush from Pipers tear ducts like smoky tears. Her eyes rolled upwards into her head, and her mouth gaped wide. Phoebe leapt at the bars as Piper began to spasm, body arching as steam gushed from every pore, even from beneath her fingernails. The smoke collected together, a par of glowing red eyes emerging from within the haze. Piper collapsed to the ground, and the smoke collected together to form a vaguely feminine form. A gash opened in the mist like a horrible gaping mouth. Phoebe backed away as it grinned at her, eyes dancing with evil. For a moment they stood there frozen; then the smoke began to pool to the ground, sinking like water into the earth. There was a slight silvery residue left behind, then that was gone too.

Phoebe stared breathlessly at the ground, then her eyes jerked up as Piper began to move; her body twitched, eyes flicking open, staring into middle distance. Then they focused into their normal intensity, and Piper turned to look at Phoebe, and it was as though she was staring at her for the first time.

"Oh God, Phoebe!" She moved forward, but she was bound tight to the wall. Tears began to flow. "I'm so sorry, I'm…" Phoebe stared at Piper, then glanced at the ground, then at Piper again. "Piper?"

Piper began to talk rapidly, the words almost blending together. Her story began to come out, everything that had happened. Of waking up for the first time, possessed by the spirit of Sylese, Tanius dead sister. Of all the horrible things she had witnessed, of seeing blood on her hands from something she couldn't stop. What it was like, living for five years thinking she was alone.

Phoebe could see the sun shining in the red sky, a smear of yellow in a pool of blood. Piper had at last fallen silent, gazing at the place where Sylese had slipped into the earth. Phoebe watched the sky, wondering what time it was. Paige had awoken half-way through the tale, and was now sitting silent, staring at the pulsing walls.

"So….what happens now?" asked Phoebe, turning away from the window to look at Piper. Her shrug was barely noticeable, but the tremble was.

"Tomorrow you will be killed. Paige returns to the slave pens, and I get to wait until Sylese becomes too confidant and Tanius decides he doesn't need her anymore, when I will face a long and probably very painful death." Her voice was flat; she was too tired for despair. The three of them were silent.

"When Minas came to you, what did he say?" Piper's eyes were dark.

"He showed me memories. Of what Paige went through." Paige's head jerked up, and she stared with obvious alarm at Phoebe. But she said nothing.

"He wanted me to change this world. Fix it, somehow." She shook her head. "But it's too late, isn't it?" she straightened as she saw something, a piece of the old Piper, glinting in her sisters eye.

"Well, too late now…." The glint turned into fire that burned in Pipers eyes.

"Phoebe, we have to send you back." Phoebe and Paige gaped at her wordlessly.

"But-"

"You don't belong in this place, Phoebe. If you go back, you could stop this from happening." Her eyes were glazed, far away as her brain went into overdrive. "Logically speaking, you should be taken back. I mean, the Universe has to be ordered……" she fell silent, but the thoughts continued to race. Phoebe waited, hardly daring to breathe.

It was late in the afternoon by the time they had gotten al the kinks out. Piper was still bound the wall, her hands pressed tight to her heart. A rough circle, drawn with a piece of rock, was dug into the floor. Phoebe stood in the centre, with Paige kneeling on the far side.

"Ready?" Phoebe nodded.

"Phoebe?" Paige's head was looking at the ground, her scars hidden by her long hair.

"If this all works out….If you go back and fix this…I don't want to know. I mean, I don't want me then to know what happened here." She smiled crookedly.

"Ignorance is bliss, right?"

Phoebe nodded, and Piper began to lead the chant.

"From the circle take the heart,

Place and time are far apart.

Put this piece into the past,

Keep her there, make it last."

(A/N- Hey, do I look like Shakespeare?)

Three times they repeated it, and three times the circle flared. As their voices died away, Phoebe thought for a second it hadn't work. Then, there was a wrenching feeling in her stomach, and she kneeled forward. But the ground was gone, and she was floating in a black abyss, falling into eternity….

* * *

Sorry this took so long. I'm supposed to be studying, so I'm doing this on the sly. And I just realised that doesn't take an exclemation mark next to a question mark, so I apologise for any grammatical confusion I may have caused.

And I'll put the next chapter up as soon as possible.


End file.
